Fastenerless and adhesiveless furniture pieces

ABSTRACT

Fastenerless and adhesiveless furniture pieces, which in various embodiments may include chairs, steps, adirondack chairs, footrests, and other furniture pieces, may each include a first panel, a second panel, and a plurality of support panels. The first and second panels may each one or more outwardly extending engagement members. The engagement members may each include a tapered void that mates with one of the support panels. The first and second panels may include curved edges that complement one another. The first panel, the second panel, and the plurality of support panels may be securely coupled to form the furniture piece, without relying on any fasteners or adhesives, when the complementary curved edges of the first and second panels are forced into abutting engagement with one another.

BACKGROUND Technical Field

The present disclosure concerns furniture. More particularly, thepresent disclosure relates to fastenerless and adhesiveless furniturepieces.

Description of the Related Art

Furniture plays an important part of every day life in modern society.From homes to businesses to public spaces like parks and boardwalks,furniture is an essential element of human productivity, recreation,comfort, and design.

Many types of furniture are manufactured or assembled using fasteners(e.g., cam fittings, anchors, dowels, screws, nails, or staples). Othersare assembled using adhesives (e.g., wood glue or epoxy) either alone orin addition to fasteners. Although furniture pieces assembled withfasteners and adhesives feature decent structural integrity, they areexpensive and cumbersome to ship from the manufacturer. Moreover, suchpieces are difficult for consumers to assemble on their own, requireparticular tools, and cannot easily be disassembled and relocated.

Other types of furniture referred to by various names such as“ready-to-assembly” furniture, “knock-down” furniture, or “flat-pack”furniture (as made famous by IKEA of Leiden, Netherlands) aremanufactured from inexpensive materials and are design to be assembledby consumers. Although these types of furniture rarely includeadhesives, they rely on numerous fasteners and the consumer's ability tofollow lengthy assembly instructions. Moreover, because they arecomprised of inexpensive materials held together by numerous connectionpoints, they tend to lose structural integrity over time.

Previous industry attempts at producing fastenerless and adhesivelessfurniture have proven suboptimal. Some such attempts have producedfurniture that is free of any fasteners or adhesives, but requiressignificant manual force to assemble properly. Many attempted designsare complicated and require the consumer to fit numerous pieces togetherlike a puzzle or else the design cannot achieve structural integrity (orcannot be assembled at all). Others rely on the use of thin tabs thatare subjected to twisting and bending forces and, as a result, renderthe design susceptible to breakage.

Given the foregoing limitations, consumers need simple, inexpensive,easy-to-assemble furniture pieces that possess enhanced structuralintegrity without relying on fasteners or adhesives.

SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED INVENTION

A fastenerless and adhesiveless furniture piece includes a first panel,a second panel, and a plurality of support panels. The first panelincludes a first edge, a second edge, a top surface disposed between thefirst edge and the second edge, a bottom surface disposed opposite thetop surface between the first edge and the second edge, side edges eachdisposed between the first edge and the second edge, and an engagementmember that extends outwardly from each side edge. The second edgeincludes a curve. Each engagement member includes a tapered void. Thesecond panel includes a first edge, a second edge, a top surfacedisposed between the first edge and the second edge, a bottom surfacedisposed opposite the top surface between the first edge and the secondedge, side edges each disposed between the first edge and the secondedge, and an engagement member that extends outwardly from each sideedge. The first edge includes a curve. Each engagement member includes atapered void. Each of the plurality of support panels includes a firstslot that mates with an engagement member of the first panel and asecond slot that mates with an engagement member of the second panel.The first panel, the second panel, and the plurality of support panelsare securely coupled to form the furniture piece when the second edge ofthe first panel is forced into abutting engagement with the first edgeof the second panel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary fastenerless andadhesiveless furniture piece in a fully assembled configuration.

FIG. 2 is a front view of an exemplary fastenerless and adhesivelessfurniture piece in a fully assembled configuration.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of an exemplary fastenerless and adhesivelessfurniture piece in a fully assembled configuration.

FIG. 4 is a top view of an exemplary fastenerless and adhesivelessfurniture piece in a fully assembled configuration.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of an exemplary fastenerless and adhesivelessfurniture piece in a fully assembled configuration.

FIG. 6 is a side view of an exemplary fastenerless and adhesivelessfurniture piece in a fully assembled configuration.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary fastenerless andadhesiveless furniture piece in a fully assembled configuration.

FIG. 8 is an exploded front view of an exemplary fastenerless andadhesiveless furniture piece in a fully assembled configuration.

FIG. 9 is an exploded rear view of an exemplary fastenerless andadhesiveless furniture piece in a fully assembled configuration.

FIG. 10 is an exploded top view of an exemplary fastenerless andadhesiveless furniture piece in a fully assembled configuration.

FIG. 11 is an exploded bottom view of an exemplary fastenerless andadhesiveless furniture piece in a fully assembled configuration.

FIG. 12 is an exploded side view of an exemplary fastenerless andadhesiveless furniture piece in a fully assembled configuration.

FIG. 13 is a normal view of an exemplary first panel.

FIG. 14 is a normal view of an exemplary second panel.

FIG. 15 is a zoomed normal view of an exemplary engagement member andtapered void.

FIG. 16 is a normal view of an exemplary support panel.

FIG. 17 is a flow chart of an operational procedure for assembling anexemplary fastenerless and adhesiveless furniture piece.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of an exemplary fastenerless andadhesiveless furniture piece in a partially assembled configuration.

FIG. 19 is a front view of an exemplary fastenerless and adhesivelessfurniture piece in a partially assembled configuration.

FIG. 20 is a rear view of an exemplary fastenerless and adhesivelessfurniture piece in a partially assembled configuration.

FIG. 21 is a top view of an exemplary fastenerless and adhesivelessfurniture piece in a partially assembled configuration.

FIG. 22 is a bottom view of an exemplary fastenerless and adhesivelessfurniture piece in a partially assembled configuration.

FIG. 23 is a side view of an exemplary fastenerless and adhesivelessfurniture piece in a partially assembled configuration.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of an exemplary fastenerless andadhesiveless furniture piece in a further partially assembledconfiguration.

FIG. 25 is a front view of an exemplary fastenerless and adhesivelessfurniture piece in a further partially assembled configuration.

FIG. 26 is a rear view of an exemplary fastenerless and adhesivelessfurniture piece in a further partially assembled configuration.

FIG. 27 is a top view of an exemplary fastenerless and adhesivelessfurniture piece in a further partially assembled configuration.

FIG. 28 is a bottom view of an exemplary fastenerless and adhesivelessfurniture piece in a further partially assembled configuration.

FIG. 29 is a side view of an exemplary fastenerless and adhesivelessfurniture piece in a further partially assembled configuration.

FIG. 30 is a perspective view of an exemplary fastenerless andadhesiveless furniture piece in a further partially assembledconfiguration.

FIG. 31 is a zoomed perspective view of an exemplary fastenerless andadhesiveless furniture piece in a further partially assembledconfiguration.

FIG. 32 is a top view of an exemplary fastenerless and adhesivelessfurniture piece in a further partially assembled configuration.

FIG. 33 is a bottom view of an exemplary fastenerless and adhesivelessfurniture piece in a further partially assembled configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Fastenerless and adhesiveless furniture pieces, which in variousembodiments may include a chair, a step, an adirondack chair, afootrest, or other furniture pieces, may each include a first panel, asecond panel, and a plurality of support panels. The first and secondpanels may each include one or more outwardly extending engagementmembers. The engagement members may each include a tapered void thatmates with one of the support panels. The first and second panels mayinclude curved edges that complement one another and aid in assembly.The first panel, the second panel, and the plurality of support panelsmay be securely coupled to form the assembled furniture piece withoutrelying on any fasteners or adhesives when the complementary curvededges of the first and second panels are forced into abutting engagementwith one another. The abutting engagement creates a sturdy and robusttension joint that not only creates tension at the immediate location ofthe joint, but also has a ripple effect that causes stabilizing tensionto permeate throughout the furniture piece.

In some embodiments, when the curved edge of the first panel is forcedinto abutting engagement with the complementary curved edge of thesecond panel, the engagement members of the first panel aresimultaneously forced into abutting engagement with corresponding secondslots in the support panels. At the same time, by virtue of the forceapplied to curved edge of the second panel, the engagement members ofthe second panel may be moved into abutting engagement withcorresponding first slots in the support panels. Thus, the first panelmay effectively be “locked” in place between the tension joint createdbetween the first and second panels and the tension joints created wherethe engagement members of the first panel abuttingly engage the secondslots of the support panels. The second panel may likewise beeffectively “locked” in place between the tension joint created betweenthe first and second panels and the tension joints created where theengagement members of the second panel abuttingly engage the first slotsof the support panels. As a result, the furniture pieces may be securelyassembled in minimal steps, with minimal force required from theconsumer, and without the need for tools, fasteners, or adhesives. Thefurniture pieces may be easily disassembled for storage, shipping, orrelocation by reversing the few required assembly steps.

Because the furniture pieces may be assembled using minimal steps (e.g.,as few as four to six, only one of which requires any force in someembodiments), do not include small components that would otherwise needto be handled and manipulated during assembly, and do not require theuse of any tools, fasteners, or adhesives, they can easily be assembledeven by a user wearing gloves or working under challenging circumstances(e.g., underwater, in extreme cold, or even in space). Unlike priorindustry attempts to produce easy-to-assembly fastenerless furniture,the furniture pieces disclosed herein cannot be fully assemblednotwithstanding a mistake made during the assembly process. Namely, theunique yet simple design ensures that consumers either fully andcompletely assemble the furniture pieces with success or becomeimmediately aware that they skipped a step or are missing a component.Accordingly, consumers are spared the all-too-common and frustratingscenario in which a mistake made halfway through assembly is onlydiscovered upon stepping back and inspecting the final product.

When disassembled, the furniture piece components lay flat and occupy asmall space. As a result, the furniture pieces may be shipped, stored,and relocated with reduced cost and effort. Moreover, they may be packedin large quantities on a single pallet, which facilitates their abilityto be used in disaster relief efforts (e.g., following an earthquake, ortsunami that has destroyed traditional furniture, such as chairs, desks,tables, beds, trunks, chests, and other important furniture pieces).

Additionally, the furniture pieces, by virtue of their reduced expenseand of being easily assembled and disassembled, are convenient for usein camps, parks, picnic areas, tailgates, or other outdoor areas inaddition to traditional furniture environments (e.g., homes, apartments,offices, dorm rooms, apartments, cottages, and the like). The furniturepieces may be finished with antimicrobial agents and may be dishwashersafe. As a result, they withstand soiling better than traditionalfurniture, are easier to clean, and are safer for use in schools,daycares, churches, and other child-centered environments.

The various components, which as noted above may include as fewcomponents as a first panel, a second panel, and a plurality (e.g., asfew as two) of support members, may be manufactured from flat stock orsheet material (e.g., plastic, sheet metal, bamboo or other wood, mediumdensity fiberboard, a composition of plastic and wood, or othermaterials) using known computer-aided manufacturing methods and othermass production methods. The components may be manufactured using, forinstance, a computerized numerical control machining system. The systemmay employ routing, laser cutting, plasma cutting, water cutting, or anynumber of other known manufacturing methods. As a result, the componentsmay be manufactured in an inexpensive yet easily repeatable manner. Theunique design of the fastenerless and adhesiveless furniture piecesallows for flexible dimensional tolerances during manufacturing—one ofmany aspects that sets the furniture pieces apart from previous industryattempts to offer fastenerless furniture. Because the tolerances aremore flexible, fewer components need be discarded during manufacturing,which in turn results in higher yields. By extension, the highertolerances also result in less environmental impact and cost in terms ofraw material waste and energy consumption during manufacturing andshipping.

The furniture pieces described herein are merely examples of thenumerous embodiments possible in view of the present disclosure. Forinstance, although the present disclosure focuses on a chair forpurposes of illustration, persons of ordinary skill in the art willreadily recognize and appreciate that many other types of furniturepieces may be manufactured based on the principals described herein.Descriptions of particular embodiments (e.g., a chair, a step, anAdirondack chair, a footrest, or the like) are merely exemplary and arein no way limiting. Many other forms of furniture will readily suggestthemselves to persons skilled in the art after viewing the presentdisclosure, including but not limited to benches, tables, shelves,planter boxes, beds, desks, and stools.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary fastenerless andadhesiveless furniture piece in a fully assembled configuration. Asillustrated in FIG. 1, the exemplary furniture piece is a chair. Thechair may exist in a variety of sizes, ranging from a size suitable fora toddler, to a size appropriate for a primary or secondary schoolstudent, to young or full-grown adults. In the example shown in FIG. 1,the fastenerless and adhesiveless chair is sized to suit toddlers. Thefastenerless and adhesiveless furniture piece may include a first panel(shown in green in FIG. 1), a second panel (shown in yellow in FIG. 1),and a plurality of support panels (shown in pink and orange in FIG. 1)securely coupled together to form a sturdy and attractive furniturepiece. The first panel may include a first edge (oriented at the top ofthe chair in FIG. 1), a second edge (oriented at the interface betweenthe first panel and the second panel in FIG. 1), a top surface disposedbetween the first edge and the second edge, and a bottom surfacedisposed opposite the top surface between the first edge and the secondedge. The second edge may include a curve. The first panel may furtherinclude a plurality of side edges each disposed between the first edgeand the second edge. An engagement member may extend outwardly from eachside edge of the first panel. Each engagement member may include atapered void or cutout region such that the engagement member isL-shaped or hook-shaped when viewed in its entirety. The first panel mayalso include a handle to ensure that the furniture piece is easilymanipulatable even in fully assembled form. The handle may be a cutoutas shown in FIG. 1, or it may be a relief or elevated surface of the topsurface or a rear surface of the first panel. The handle may form animage or symbol, such as a corporate logo.

The second panel may include a first edge (oriented toward the rear ofthe chair at the interface between the first panel and the second panelin FIG. 1), a second edge (oriented toward the front of the chair inFIG. 1), a top surface disposed between the first edge and the secondedge, and a bottom surface disposed opposite the top surface between thefirst edge and the second edge. The second panel may include a pluralityof side edges each disposed between the first edge and the second edge.An engagement member may extend outwardly from each side edge. The firstedge may include a curve. As described later in further detail, thecurve of the first edge of the second panel may be fully or partiallycomplementary to the curve of the second edge of the first panel. Eachengagement member includes a tapered void or cutout region such that theengagement member is L-shaped or hook-shaped when viewed in itsentirety.

The plurality of support panels may each include a first slot that mateswith art engagement member of the first panel (illustrated in FIG. 1 asthe vertical slot to which the green engagement member of the firstpanel is mated) and a second slot that mates with an engagement memberof the second panel (illustrated in FIG. 1 as the horizontal slot towhich the yellow engagement member of the second panel is mated). Thefirst panel, the second panel, and the plurality of support panels maybe securely coupled to form the furniture piece when the second edge ofthe first panel is forced into abutting engagement with the first edgeof the second panel.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are front and rear views, respectively, of an exemplaryfastenerless and adhesiveless furniture piece in a fully assembledconfiguration. As noted above and as shown in further detail in FIGS. 2and 3, the second edge of the first panel may include a curve. The curveof the second edge of the first panel may be convex with respect to acenter of the top surface of the first panel. When the first panel, thesecond panel, and the plurality of support panels are securely coupledto form the furniture piece (e.g., when the second edge of the firstpanel is forced into abutting engagement with the first edge of thesecond panel), the second edge of the first panel may extend partiallyor completely beyond the complementarily curved first edge of the secondpanel. Accordingly, just as easily as the furniture piece may beassembled, it may be easily disassembled by turning the piece over andforcing the first panel out of abutting engagement with the secondpanel.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are top and bottom views, respectively, of an exemplaryfastenerless and adhesiveless furniture piece in a fully assembledconfiguration. As shown in further detail in FIGS. 4 and 5, the curve ofthe first edge of the second panel may include a concave curve.

FIG. 6 is a side view of an exemplary fastenerless and adhesivelessfurniture piece in a fully assembled configuration. As shown inexemplary furniture piece of FIG. 6, the engagement members of the firstand second panels may extend beyond the length of the correspondingslots of the support panels to which they each mate. Moreover, asdemonstrated by the support panels shown in FIG. 6, all of thecomponents of the furniture piece may feature smooth surfaces androunded edges and corners to ensure safety and comfort during use. Thesmooth surfaces and rounded edges may be of particular advantage whenthe furniture piece, like the toddler chair shown in FIG. 6, is sizedfor use by toddlers or other children.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary fastenerless andadhesiveless furniture piece. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the furniturepiece may include as few as four components, two of which may beidentical mirror images (thus reducing the number of manufactured piecesto three). Moreover, the first panel, the second panel, and the supportpanels may include the same uniform thickness. As a result, all of thecomponents may be cut from the same inventory or same sheet of material,which in turn reduces the complexity and cost of manufacturing. The lowprofile of the components further facilitates storage, shipping, andrelocation of the furniture pieces.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are exploded front and rear views, respectively, of anexemplary fastenerless and adhesiveless furniture piece. The convexcurve of the second edge of the first panel is prominently visible inFIGS. 8 and 9.

FIGS. 10 and 11 are exploded top and bottom views, respectively, of anexemplary fastenerless and adhesiveless furniture piece. The engagementmembers extending outwardly from the side edges of the second panel,each of which include a tapered void or cutout region, are prominentlyvisible in FIGS. 10 and 11. The concave curve of the first edge of thesecond panel is also prominently visible in FIG. 11.

FIG. 12 is an exploded side view of an exemplary fastenerless andadhesiveless furniture piece. As shown in FIG. 12, the first edge of thefirst panel may extend above a top edge of the support panels before thefurniture piece is fully assembled. As a result, as discussed later infurther detail, the first edge of the first panel is made prominentlyavailable for manipulation by the consumer (e.g., through a downwardforce that drives the first panel into abutting engagement with thesecond panel and the support panels, which in turn also forces thesecond panel into abutting engagement with the support panels).

FIGS. 13 and 14 are normal views, respectively, of an exemplary firstpanel and an exemplary second panel. The engagement members extendingform the side edges of each of the first panel and second panel areshown in further detail in FIG. 15.

FIG. 15 is a zoomed normal view of an exemplary engagement member andtapered void or cutout. The engagement member may include a void orcutout region so as to give the engagement member an L-shape orhook-shape when viewed in its entirety. The void may include a pluralityof sides, illustrated in the orientation of FIG. 15 as a flat innerside, a tapered outer side, and a flat upper side. In other embodiments,the inner side may be tapered either instead of or in addition to thetapered outer side. By virtue of the tapered side, the void may includea tapered width proceeding from the opening of the void toward the flatupper side. A first width, referred to for illustrative purposes as theouter width furthest from the flat upper side, may be greater than athickness of the support panel. Because the first width is greater thanthe thickness of the support panel, it may mate with or receive thesupport panel (e.g., at the flat edge forming the slot in the supportpanel) with little resistance or friction.

A second width, referred to for illustrative purpose as the inner widthclosest to the flat upper side of the void, may be less than thethickness of the support panel. Because the second width is less thanthe thickness of the support panel, it may only mate with or receive thesupport panel when the support panel is forced into the second width.When the support panel is forced into the second width, the second widthis forced to expand slightly to accommodate the support panel. As aresult, the support panel becomes abuttingly engaged with the voidthrough the tension and friction that arises between the engagementmember at the second width and the support member.

When the furniture piece is fully assembled, the support panel mayfurther be forced into abutting engagement with the engagement member atthe upper flat surface of the void. Thus, like the flat upper surface ofthe void, the edge of the support member that abuttingly engages theflat upper surface may likewise be flat so as to net out or create apositive stop. In embodiments like that illustrated in FIG. 15, eachengagement member may abuttingly engage the support panel at threedistinct engagement points: at the flat inner side, at the flat upperside, and at the tapered outer side at the inner width of the void. As aresult, although the tensioned interface between the first panel and thesecond panel may constitute the primary joint providing enhancedstructural integrity to the assembled furniture piece, the manyengagement members make such stability even more robust.

As further shown in FIG. 15, the void may include one or more roundedregions adjacent to the flat upper side. The rounded regions may serveas turn-around zones for a router or other cutting instrument during themanufacturing process. By including the rounded regions, a router-basedcomputerized numerical control machining system may successfully createthe flat upper surface in the void and then retreat cleanly from thevoid. Because the flat-on-flat or positive stop engagement between thesupport panel and each engagement member further bolsters the stabilityof the furniture piece, and because computerized numerical controlmachining offers an inexpensive and efficient manufacturing process, theinclusion of the rounded regions in the voids in and of itselfconstitutes an improvement over prior industry attempts to createfastenerless furniture. In some embodiments, the void may omit therounded regions and instead use straight regions (e.g., where a flatblade is used during manufacturing rather than a round router bit).

FIG. 16 is a normal view of an exemplary support panel. The roundedregions described in the context of FIG. 15 are further visible in FIG.16.

FIG. 17 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary operational procedurefor assembling an exemplary fastenerless and adhesiveless furniturepiece. In a first step, a method for assembling the furniture piece mayinclude inserting a first engagement member of the second panel into thecorresponding first slot of a first support panel. In a second step, themethod may include inserting a first engagement member of the firstpanel into the corresponding second slot of the first support panel. Themethod may further include inserting a second engagement member of thesecond panel into a corresponding first slot of a second support panel.The method may also include inserting a second engagement member of thefirst panel into a corresponding second slot of the second supportpanel. The order of the foregoing steps are merely exemplary and may bereversed.

In a further step, the first and second engagement members of the secondpanel may be moved toward abutting engagement with the correspondingfirst slots of the first and second support panels. As discussed abovein the context of FIG. 15, the abutting engagement may be achieved atone or more tension points, one of which may include a flat-on-flatpositive stop engagement between a flat side of the engagement memberforming the void or cutout region and a flat edge of the slot of thesupport member. In many cases, however, the engagement members of thesecond panel need not be brought fully into abutting engagement with thecorresponding first slots of the support panels at the presentlydescribed stage of the method. Rather, the second panel may simply bemoved toward an abutting engagement so as to allow the second edge ofthe first panel sufficient clearance to get behind the first edge of thesecond panel and serve as a tension lever. Thus, at the presentlydescribed stage of the method, in some cases the various components mayremain loose and may not be securely engaged with one another.

In a further step, the method may include moving the first and secondengagement members of the first panel into abutting engagement with thecorresponding second slots of the first and second support panels. Theengagement may occur as described in the context of FIG. 15 andelsewhere. Namely, forcing each engagement member of the second panelinto abutting engagement with a corresponding second slot of eachsupport panel may include forcing the support panel into the taperedvoid of the engagement member. Forcing the support panel into thetapered void of the engagement member may include forcing the supportpanel through the outer width of the tapered void and into the innerwidth of the tapered void.

As the engagement members of the first panel are forced into abuttingengagement with the corresponding second slots of the support panels,the second edge of the first panel may likewise be driven into abuttingengagement with the first edge of the second panel. As noted above, thecurve of the second edge of the first panel may be convex with respectto a center of the top surface of the first panel. The curve of thefirst edge of the second panel may complement the curve of the secondedge of the first panel. The curve of the first edge of the second panelmay, for instance, be concave with respect to a center of the topsurface of the second panel. The complementary curves may permit theconvex curve of the second edge of the first panel to abuttingly engagethe first edge of the second panel primarily at the center of the edges.In some cases, the complementary curves may be not be preciselycomplementary such that the centers of the edges engage while allowingthe distal regions of the edges to remain unengaged.

As the first panel is driven into abutting engagement with the secondpanel as described above, the engagement members of the first panel areforced into abutting engagement with the corresponding second slots ofthe support panels. At the same time, the displacement of the area ofthe first edge of the second panel by the area of the second edge of thefirst plane causes the second panel is be forced forward. By virtue ofbeing forced forward, the engagement members of the second panel areforced into full abutting engagement with the corresponding second slotsof the support members. Thus, the first panel acts as a tension leverthat creates a robust tension joint at the interface between the secondedge of the first panel and the first edge of the second panel. Thefirst panel is securely coupled to the support panels by virtue of itsengagement members abuttingly engaging the corresponding first slots ofthe support members. The tension placed on the second panel by the firstpanel causes the second panel to come into abutting engagement with thesecond slots of the support panels, thereby securing the second panel toboth the support members and to the first panel. When the first panelapplies tension to the second panel, it causes the second panel to flexslightly, which in turn further stiffens and stabilizes the varioustension joints generated throughout the assembled furniture piece. Theextent of flexing may be controlled and optimized for a given furniturepiece by altering the placement of the first slots of the supportmembers. Doing so allows the moment arm or lever created by the firstpanel to be adjusted to achieve the desired forces necessary to assemblyor disassemble the furniture piece without the need for tools,fasteners, or adhesives. Using the curved edges of the first and secondpanels and adjusting the length of the moment arm to control the tensionjoint creating between the panels offers the ability to accommodate awide variety of flat stock materials.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of an exemplary fastenerless andadhesiveless furniture piece in a partially assembled configuration. Asshown in FIG. 18, the engagement members of the first and second panelshave been mated with or inserted into the corresponding slots of thesupport members, but neither panel has been moved toward an abuttinglyengaged configuration. Thus, as shown in FIG. 18, the first panelremains elevated above a top edge of the support panels so as to providea broad surface by which a consumer may manipulate the first panel(e.g., by placing one or both hands, whether gloved or ungloved, uponthe first edge and driving downward towards the ground). The secondpanel remains positioned toward the rear of the support panels, which asshown in FIG. 18 results in a lack of clearance by which the first panelmight otherwise get behind the second panel to serve as a moment arm. Atthe stage of assembly shown in FIG. 18, the various components may stillbe loose and may not be securely coupled together so as to form astabile furniture piece.

FIGS. 19 and 20 are front and rear views, respectively, of an exemplaryfastenerless and adhesiveless furniture piece in a partially assembledconfiguration. As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the first panel has yet tobe driven into abutting engagement with the second panel. Thus, a gapbetween the two panels is visible.

FIGS. 21 and 22 are top and bottom views, respectively, of an exemplaryfastenerless and adhesiveless furniture piece in a partially assembledconfiguration. The lack of clearance available for the first panel toget behind the second panel and act as a moment arm is highlighted inFIGS. 21 and 22. The lack of clearance available at the stage shown inFIGS. 21 and 22 ensures that only minimal clearance is provided for thefirst panel when the second panel has been moved forward toward. Theminimal level of clearance ensures that the second panel overlaps thefirst panel slightly and allows the first panel to act as a moment armthat forces the second panel into abutting engagement with the secondslots of the support panels.

FIG. 23 is a side view of an exemplary fastenerless and adhesivelessfurniture piece in a partially assembled configuration. As shown in FIG.23, neither of the engagement members has been moved into abuttingengagement with the corresponding slots of the support panel (e.g.,there is a gap between the flat surface of the void of the engagementmember and the flat edge of the slot in the support panel).

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of an exemplary fastenerless andadhesiveless furniture piece in a further partially assembledconfiguration. As shown in FIG. 24, in contrast to FIG. 18, theengagement members of the second panel have been moved forward towardabutting engagement with the second slots of the support panels. As aresult, in further contrast to the assembly stage shown in FIG. 18, thefirst panel has sufficient clearance to get behind the second panel andact as a moment arm to create a robust tension joint that secures boththe first panel and the second panel to the support panels as well as toeach other.

FIGS. 25 and 26 are front and rear views, respectively, of an exemplaryfastenerless and adhesiveless furniture piece in a further partiallyassembled configuration.

FIGS. 27 and 28 are top and bottom views, respectively, of an exemplaryfastenerless and adhesiveless furniture piece in a further partiallyassembled configuration. As illustrated in FIGS. 27 and 28, the firstpanel is omitted to further highlight the forward position of the secondpanel after the engagement members of the second panel have been movedtowards abutting engagement with the second slots of the support panels.

FIG. 29 is a side view of an exemplary fastenerless and adhesivelessfurniture piece in a further partially assembled configuration. Incontrast to the assembly state illustrated in FIG. 23, in FIG. 29 theengagement member of the second panel has been moved toward abuttingengagement with the second slots of the support panels.

FIG. 30 is a perspective view of an exemplary fastenerless andadhesiveless furniture piece in a further partially assembledconfiguration. As shown in FIG. 30, the second panel has been movedforward such that its engagement members are near abutting engagementwith the second slots of the support members. Additionally, the firstpanel has been driven partially downward such that its engagementmembers are closer to abutting engagement with the first slots of thesupport panels.

FIG. 31 is a zoomed perspective view of an exemplary fastenerless andadhesiveless furniture piece in a further partially assembledconfiguration. FIG. 31 illustrates an intermediate phase in which thesecond edge of the first panel and the first edge of the second panelare nearly in abutting engagement with one another. FIG. 31 highlightsthat, while the position of the second panel after having been movedtoward abutting engagement with the second slots of the support panelsprovides clearance for the first panel, the clearance is only partial.Because the clearance is only partial, the first panel may displace aportion of the first edge of the second panel to get into a position inwhich the first panel can serve as a moment arm and create a robusttension joint at the interface between the two panels.

FIG. 32 and FIG. 33 are top and bottom views of an exemplaryfastenerless and adhesiveless furniture piece in a further partiallyassembled configuration.

As discussed above, the furniture pieces described herein are merelyexamples of the numerous embodiments possible in view of the presentdisclosure. For instance, although the present disclosure focuses on achair for purposes of illustration, persons of ordinary skill in the artwill readily recognize and appreciate that many other types of furniturepieces may be manufactured to include the principals described herein.Descriptions of particular embodiments (e.g., a chair, a table, a step,an Adirondack chair, a footrest, or the like) are merely exemplary andare in no way limiting. Appendix A, which is attached hereto andincorporated by reference, includes drawings that illustrate otherexemplary components and fully assembled furniture pieces (e.g., chairsof various sizes and styles, a footrest, a table, and a step) that fallwithin the scope of the present disclosure. Each of the furniture piecesfeatures one or more instances of the unique tension joint and/or uniquerounded regions described above and provides all of the same benefitsdiscussed in the context of the chair depicted in the precedingdrawings. Any dimensions, materials, shapes, or configurationsidentified in Appendix A are merely exemplary and should in no way beconstrued as exhaustive or limited. Many other forms of furniture willreadily suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art after viewingthe present disclosure, including but not limited to benches, tables,shelves, planter boxes, beds, desks, and stools.

The above description is illustrative and not restrictive. Manyvariations of the furniture pieces described above for illustrativepurposes will become apparent to those of skill in the art in view ofthe present disclosure. While the furniture pieces have been describedin connection with a variety of embodiments, these descriptions are notintended to limit the scope of the present invention to the particularforms set forth herein. On the contrary, the present disclosure isintended to cover numerous alternatives, modifications, and equivalentsas may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention asdefined by the appended claims and otherwise appreciated by one ofordinary skill in the art.

What is claimed is:
 1. A fastenerless and adhesiveless furniture piece,comprising: a first panel, the first panel including a first edge, asecond edge, a top surface disposed between the first edge and thesecond edge, a bottom surface disposed opposite the top surface betweenthe first edge and the second edge, side edges each disposed between thefirst edge and the second edge, and an engagement member extendingoutwardly from each side edge, wherein the second edge includes a curveand each engagement member includes a tapered void; a second panel, thesecond panel including a first edge, a second edge, a top surfacedisposed between the first edge and the second edge, a bottom surfacedisposed opposite the top surface between the first edge and the secondedge, side edges each disposed between the first edge and the secondedge, and an engagement member extending outwardly from each side edge,wherein the first edge includes a curve and each engagement memberincludes a tapered void; and a plurality of support panels, each supportpanel including a first slot that mates with an engagement member of thefirst panel and a second slot that mates with an engagement member ofthe second panel, wherein the first panel, the second panel, and theplurality of support panels are securely coupled to form the furniturepiece when the second edge of the first panel is forced into abuttingengagement with the first edge of the second panel.
 2. The furniturepiece of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the support panel is lessthan an outer width of the tapered void of each engagement member andgreater than an inner width of the tapered void of each engagementmember.
 3. The furniture piece of claim 2, wherein the forcing thesecond edge of the first panel into abutting engagement with the firstedge of the second panel includes forcing each engagement member of thefirst panel into abutting engagement with a corresponding first slot ofeach support panel.
 4. The furniture piece of claim 3, wherein forcingeach engagement member of the first panel into abutting engagement witha corresponding first slot of each support panel includes forcing thesupport panel into the tapered void of the engagement member.
 5. Thefurniture piece of claim 4, wherein forcing the support panel into thetapered void of the engagement member includes forcing the support panelthrough the outer width of the tapered void and into the inner width ofthe tapered void.
 6. The furniture piece of claim 2, wherein the forcingthe second edge of the first panel into abutting engagement with thefirst edge of the second panel includes forcing each engagement memberof the second panel into abutting engagement with a corresponding secondslot of each support panel.
 7. The furniture piece of claim 6, whereinforcing each engagement member of the second panel into abuttingengagement with a corresponding second slot of each support panelincludes forcing the support panel into the tapered void of theengagement member.
 8. The furniture piece of claim 7, wherein forcingthe support panel into the tapered void of the engagement memberincludes forcing the support panel through the outer width of thetapered void and into the inner width of the tapered void.
 9. Thefurniture piece of claim 1, wherein the curve of the second edge of thefirst panel is convex with respect to a center of the top surface of thefirst panel.
 10. The furniture piece of claim 1, wherein the curve ofthe first edge of the second panel is concave with respect to a centerof the top surface of the second panel.
 11. The furniture piece of claim1, securely coupling the first panel, the second panel, and theplurality of support panels to form the furniture piece includes two orfewer steps.
 12. The furniture piece of claim 1, wherein the furniturepiece includes four or fewer components.
 13. The furniture piece ofclaim 1, wherein the plurality of support panels are identical.
 14. Thefurniture piece of claim 1, wherein a uniform thickness of the firstpanel, the second panel, and the plurality of support panels are thesame.
 15. The furniture piece of claim 1, wherein the furniture piece isfastenerless.
 16. The furniture piece of claim 1, wherein the furniturepiece is adhesiveless.
 17. The furniture piece of claim 1, wherein thefurniture piece is a chair.
 18. The furniture piece of claim 1, whereinthe furniture piece is a step.
 19. The furniture piece of claim 1,wherein the furniture piece is an adirondack chair.
 20. The furniturepiece of claim 1, wherein the furniture piece is a footrest.